UConn's losing streak hits three

October 21, 2012|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

NCAAF Team Report - Connecticut - INSIDE SLANT

It's hard to tell who's more grateful that the Huskies are on a bye week -- the players and coaches, who get some extra time to correct the Huskies flaws, or the UConn fans who won't have to watch the team next week.

Connecticut enters the off week on a three-game losing streak, each one more disappointing than the last. The nadir came on Friday, which saw the Huskies get blasted in the second half in a 40-10 loss at Syracuse.

Paul Pasqualoni, increasingly under fire in his second season at the helm of the program, said he'll use the bye week to get the team prepared for what it will face down the stretch. Sadly for the defense, a number of the teams they'll play have offenses that are similar to Syracuse's.

"What I said to the players was that we're going to take a real, real good look at the film and we've fortunately got a few days and whatever we have to do to get the team on track," Pasqualoni said. "We'll make those decisions and we'll do what we feel is best to move forward. The same concept of zone offense is the same thing South Florida does. Cincinnati is in it, Louisville is in it, everybody's in that concept. We've handled it pretty well up until this point so I want see the film and see exactly what happened before I make any other comments."

At 3-5, the team needs to finish with at least three wins in its last four games to become bowl eligible. Considering that all four are against Big East opponents, and two are against teams ranked in the Top 25 (Cincinnati and Louisville), that's a tall order.

"Guys are upset, but there is nothing we can do about what happened just now. We have to go get it and correct it," running back/wide receiver Nick Williams said. "We have a bye week, (so) hopefully we'll have some bodies fresh and start working on South Florida."

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NCAAF Team Report - Connecticut - NOTES, QUOTES

--It's safe to say that the running game will be a concern heading into the bye week. Connecticut was credited with negative-six yards on the ground against Syracuse. That is the fewest ever for the Huskies since moving up to FBS. The previous low, 12, was in a game against West Virginia in 2005.

--Syracuse scored 20 points in the first half against Connecticut, the most the Huskies had allowed all season. But the Orange hit that mark again in the second half.

--One positive out of the Syracuse game was that Chad Christen connected on a 23-yard field goal. He had misfired on all four attempts, including one in overtime, in the Huskies loss to Temple in the previous game.

BYE WEEK MISSION: The Huskies are at a critical juncture, not just for this season but for the two-year Paul Pasqualoni era. The players are clearly frustrated, with a scuffle apparent at the end of the Syracuse game, and Connecticut can see its bowl chances slipping away. Of the weaknesses the team has shown in Big East play, correcting the deficiencies on the offensive and defensive line is key to getting the Huskies back on track, but it will be even more important to ensure that all of the team is rowing their oars in the same direction, and with the same mindset, if UConn hopes for the surge it will need to reach the postseason.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Huskies missed out on the postseason last year with a 5-7 record, and it has a tough road ahead if it hopes to avoid suffering that same fate. With a 3-5 record, Connecticut needs to finish with three wins in its final four games to be bowl-eligible. Considering it closes with a pair of ranked teams in Louisville and Cincinnati, the first game back from the bye, a road game at South Florida, will be critical.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It is tough, you want to win games. It's rough when you get beat like that. It's a shot to your pride. You have to keep your head up high and keep fighting." -- Connecticut quarterback Chandler Whitmer, following the loss to Syracuse.

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NCAAF Team Report - Connecticut - STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: With Adam Masters out for the season with an ankle injury, the bye week will see Connecticut move Gus Cruz into the starting lineup. Freshman Tyler Samra and redshirt freshmen Dalton Gifford are the primary backups. Considering the line already had issues in both run blocking and pass protection, that's not a great sign going forward, but at least there's some extra practice time to get everyone comfortable in their new roles before the next kickoff against South Florida.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Huskies were thin on the defensive line at the start of the season, and injuries in September only made that situation more critical. That's affecting the pass rush, which is often absent, but the more critical short-term issue heading into the bye week is the team's pitiful performances against the run. It didn't allow an opposing back to run for more than 100 yards in all of 2012, but it's been the victim of that the past three weeks, including a 133-yard effort by the previously anonymous Jerome Smith of Syracuse.

ROSTER REPORT

--OG Adam Masters injured his ankle against Syracuse and is out for the season. Sophomore Gus Cruz is likely to start in his place.

--DE Tim Willman strained his right arm in the loss to Syracuse and had his arm in a sling after the game, but the coaching staff did not think the injury was serious. He's expected to be ready for South Florida.